Facts:

• The case involves Clerk of Court Belinda V. Antonio from the Court of First Instance of Negros Occidental, Branch VII.
• The issue arose from the unexplained loss of the record in Criminal Case No. 418, "People vs. Mapa."
• Administrative proceedings were initiated against several court personnel, including Antonio, Docket Clerks Presco Labrador and Eden N. Ledesma, and Janitor Maximiano Biwang.
• On March 24, 1970, Janitor Biwang received the record from the post office, which had been remanded by the Court of Appeals.
• Biwang handed the record to Ledesma, who stamped Antonio's name on the transmittal letter.
• The record was returned to the Court of Appeals, but the transfer to Labrador was not formally documented, violating standard procedures.
• The loss was discovered when Mrs. Josefina Vda. de Marcella inquired about the case.
• Labrador and Ledesma were found guilty of neglect of duty, while Biwang was exonerated.
• On April 13, 1973, the President imposed a one-month pay fine on Antonio for neglect of duty based on the Secretary of Justice's findings.
• Antonio filed a motion for reconsideration, claiming the penalty was excessive and not reflective of the investigation's findings.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court set aside the one-month pay penalty on Belinda V. Antonio.
• Antonio was admonished to exercise greater vigilance and closer supervision over her subordinates.
• The Court acknowledged tha...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court recognized Antonio's supervisory role but stated that command responsibility should not be applied absolutely.
• The proximate cause of the record's loss was primarily due to the negligence of Labrador and secondarily to Ledesma.
• The Court no...continue reading